GMAP at the ICSD 2018

GMAP at the ICSD 2018

The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) was hosting its 6th annual conference at Columbia University in New York. The biggest global conference on sustainable development aims to identify and disseminate practical and actionable solutions for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ICSD brings together academia, government, civil society, international organisations, the […]

The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) was hosting its 6th annual conference at Columbia University in New York. The biggest global conference on sustainable development aims to identify and disseminate practical and actionable solutions for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ICSD brings together academia, government, civil society, international organisations, the United Nations, and the private sector to share good practices to achieve the 2030 Agenda. Marion Provencher, Programme Officer with the Gender and Mine Action Programme (GMAP) is presenting a research jointly conducted between GMAP and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) under the theme Mainstreaming Gender in Agenda 2030: Interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goals. The research explores the interconnectedness between SDGs and demonstrates how gender mainstreaming creates a spillover effect across most SDGs.

The research looked at land release, victim assistance, and employment. The impact of gender mainstreaming in each of these aspects was research for evidence of long term sustainable impact that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. In land release, gender mainstreaming was proven to contribute to making public spaces and roads safe for use by women, women’s access and ownership over services and resources, including food and water, and generating income (SDG 1; 2; 3; 8; 10; 11). In victim assistance, a gender perspective is essential to understand what services women and men need, and what obstacles they face in accessing services. Solutions include eliminating disparities for access to medical and educational services, assisting women and persons with disabilities in developing new skills, ease their access to financial services, increase their income, reduce poverty, and overall strengthen the financial resilience of survivors and persons with disabilities as well as promote their inclusion in society (SDG 1; 3; 4; 8; 10; 16). In employment, the research was able to demonstrate that employment contributes to increased access to land and other resources, education for children and skill development for women employed, reduction in socio-economic inequalities, lifting women and women-headed households out of poverty, and making these households more financially resilient (SDG 1; 4; 8; 10). The research also demonstrate that female employment lead to change in decision-making power in the household, increased participation in decisions regarding money allocation in the family, and changing gender norms at the community level (SDG 5; 10; 16).

Following the ICSD 2018, GMAP look forward to share in more details the findings of the research and to work towards putting together concrete recommendations for measuring the transformative and sustainable impact of gender-sensitive and responsive mine action interventions.